Coos Bay Terminal

6:21 am

Wed April 18, 2012

The Port of Coos Bay is negotiating with three companies interested in building a coal export facility on Oregon’s South Coast. Through interviews and records requests, EarthFix has learned the identities of two companies involved in the deal. Amelia Templeton reports.

Coos Bay is one of six ports in the Northwest pursuing a deal to build a coal export terminal.

The port and its partners are in talks to ship up to 10 million tons of coal to Asia. The coal would be sourced from the Powder River Basin, in Montana and Wyoming. A legal document names Mitsui, a Japanese mega corporation, as one of the Port’s negotiating partners.

The company is involved in mining, oil and gas development, and commodity trading. Earthfix has learned that a second company, Metro Ports, is also involved in the Coos Bay negotiations. Metro Ports manages shipping terminals in California, Washington, and the Gulf Coast.

Company officials did not respond to requests for interviews. The Port declined to comment on the companies involved. The port of Coos Bay says its partners are still studying the feasibility of building a coal export terminal. And haven’t signed any binding deals.